Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo have made history as the first duo of teenagers to score in the same FA Cup final.
Manchester United‘s Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo have made history as the first duo of teenagers to score in the same FA Cup final.
Both players found the back of the net in the first half of the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday afternoon, giving the Red Devils an against-the-odds 2-0 lead against Manchester City before the interval.
Garnacho opened the scoring at the half-hour mark after a mix-up between City’s Josko Gvardiol and Stefan Oretga allowed him an easy tap-in.
Mainoo extended the side’s lead with a second goal nine minutes later, following good play from Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes and Mainoo himself.
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Garnacho and Mainoo make FA Cup history
During the half-time interval, it was confirmed that history had been made with United being the first team to have two teenagers score in an FA Cup final.
According to OptaJoe, Mainoo also became the youngest goalscorer in an FA Cup final since West Ham United’s John Sissons in 1964.
Garnacho, at 19, became the first teenager to score in the final since Cristiano Ronaldo‘s goal against Millwall in 2004. Ronaldo, who was also 19 at the time, had netted in the 3-0 victory at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
The Argentine teenager, who has played 50 games this season, had another chance to score in the second half, but his effort was saved by Ortega.
Erik ten Hag‘s team, despite facing numerous injuries and major criticism this season, secured a 2-1 victory to lift the trophy after Jeremy Doku scored a late goal for City.
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Erik ten Hag secures second trophy in consecutive seasons
The victory marked Ten Hag’s second piece of silverware in two seasons and comes at a time when his position as manager remains under threat.
Neither Garnacho nor Mainoo started in last year’s FA Cup final, which United lost 2-1. Garnacho appeared off the bench, while Mainoo was not involved in the senior squad.
The young Englishman has had a standout 2023-24 season, scoring five goals and providing three assists in 35 matches. His performances earned him a spot in Gareth Southgate‘s preliminary 33-man England squad for Euro 2024.
United ended the Premier League season in eighth place, which would have seen them miss out on European football next season. However, having now won the FA Cup, they will receive direct entry to the Europa League group stage.
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